A layman's journey through the Bible

Are You Listening To God?

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

Isaiah 50:4,5

This chapter in Isaiah gives us a multi-faceted look at Jesus and I want to highlight this aspect of Him as the child prodigy. He is the perfect disciple because He completely trusts and obeys the Lord God. That faith enables Him to hear and learn from the Father everything that He must do to serve Him.

Most Christians would probably say that they want to know the will of God but the same number probably cannot say that they are listening to Him. Yeah, God has a plan for us but we’re really concerned about accomplishing all of our goals. We already have a list of priorities that dictates our decisions.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

John 12:49,50

Jesus did not pursue His own agenda in life. He did not make decisions based on what made sense. He did not pursue a career. He did not waste His time learning who He was. The Father already had a purpose and plan for Him and Jesus pursued it. Moreover, Jesus understood that obeying God’s will was much better than doing His own thing.

Do you trust that God’s will for your life is worth all of the sacrifices you will have to make? Or would you rather be “successful?” You do not have to find a purpose in life because you already have one. The only question is: when will you stop rebelling and start fulfilling it?

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 8:29

That is not hyperbole. Jesus always did that which pleased the Father. Not most of the time—all the time. That is what we must work towards in our life. We won’t know what real living is until we start to live for God’s pleasure.